Brake and clutch operating mechanism for automobiles.



No. 883,835. PATENTED APR. 7, 1908. C. SCHMIDT.

I BRAKE AND CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

53 N Wtned'd'ed'. 3Q 172216227502? ZMLMQW L PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

- G. SGHMIDT. BRAKE AND CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 29, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Hill wwm ' the innersurface of said hub drum.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES SCHMIDT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEERLESS MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

BRAKE AND CLUTCH OPERATING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Application filed March 29, 1906. Serial No. 308,769.

.mechanism for. operating the brakes and clutch on an automobile in an eflicientlmanner, as be hereinafter set forth, and definitely ointed out in the claims.

a In the rawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the middle and rear. parts of the chassis of an automobile equipped with the present invention. Fi 2 IS a side elevation of the parts shown m Fig. 1, a portion of the same sin in vertical section the plane indicate by line 22, of Fig. 1. Fig, 3 is a sec tional rear elevation in the plane of line 33, of Fig. 2, showing particularly the rock shaft G, and certain associated mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional rear view in-the plane indicated by line 44, showing, how'- ever, only the two rock shafts, M, and N, and their associated mechanism.

Each rear wheel, W, is provided with a brake engaging the outer surface of its hub and with another brake on aging rakes of this sort, in a variety of forms, are familiar with those acquainted with this art; .where fore, since, any suitable construction of brakes may be employed, it has not been thought necessary to show brakes in detail. An operatin lever, B, is provided for each external bra e; and an operating lever, C, is provided for each internal brake. The

forward movement of each of these brake.

levers sets the associated brake.

At a suitable distance in front of the rear wheels, a block, E, is secured to the under side of each of thetwo side members, A A, of the automobile frame. In each of these blocks there are two horizontal slots,- respectively indicated by e, e.

D D represent e ualizing bars whose ends' pass respectively t ough the two slots, e, and the two slots 6; whereby the equalizing bars are supported and are permitted to slide forward and backward in said slots. The two brake operating'levers, B, are respectively connected, by means of links, 5 b,

residing of B156, 0,

with the ends of the equalizing bar, D. The two brake levers, C, are connected by means bar,

Associated with two e ualizing bars res ectively, are the two drzift rods, (1, cl, each of which is connected with its associated equalizing bar by means of a vertical pivot pin, (1 located about midway between the ends of said equalizing bar. The front ends of these draft rods are respectively connected with the two swinging levers, J, J, which are pivoted to brackets, j, secured to one of the transverse members, a, of the automobile frame. It is evident that 'by rocking the swinging lever, J, forward, the correspondin equa 'zin bar, D, will be moved forward, an

thereby t e outside brakes, controlled by lewith the ends of the equalizing because the equalizing bar, D, will turn on its pivotal connection with the draft bar, (1,

enough to pull with equal force u on the two links, I) b; in like manner, throug the operation of the swinging lever, J, the two inside brakes will be set with equal force. The equalizing of the braking ressure on the hubs of the two driving w eels is of great practical value in an automobile, since it eatly diminishes the tendency of the veicle to skid.

The transverse rockshaft, G, is mounted in suitable bearings secured tothe automobile frame. An operating lever, g, is secured to this rock shaft, and furnishes the means for rocking the same. Two arms, g, g, are also rigidly fastened to this rock shaft. The arm 9 is connected by a' link, is, with the swinging lever, J, wherefore an operator, taking hold of the lever g, may,' throu h the de' scribed mechanism set the external rakes.

transverse roc shafts mounted in suitable bearings secured to the frame one above the other. A foot lever, m, is rigidly fastened to the rock shaft, M, to which rock shaft is also secured a rigid arm, m.. A link, k, connects this arm with the swinging lever, J, wherefore an operator by pressing his foot against the lever m, may through the described intermediate mechanism, set the internal Erzkes with equal force against the wheel Very clearly it is desirable, under some circumstances to uncouple the clutch as brakes are set. The rock shaft, N, is for operating the clutch, and it is rovided with two separate arms, n, which are respectively connected by means of links, p, with the longitudinally sliding member, S, of the clutch. The clutch may, of course, be of any suitable construction, provided there is a lon itudinally sliding member by which it may e o ened and closed. Secured to the rock sl iaft, N, is a gear segment, n, which meshes with a gear segment, 7", extending down from a sleeve, R, loosely mounted on the shaft, M,-this sleeve being provided with a foot lever, 1". By pressing upon this foot lever, the shaft N, is rocked in the direction to release the 'clutch; and obviously the clutch may thereby be released or allowed to throw on independently of the brake operating mechanism. There is, however, another arm, n secured'to theshaft N, which armlies in the path of a pin, t, carried by a lever arm, t said arm bein rigid with a sleeve,'T, loosely mounted on s aft, M. A lever arm, 23*, is also secured to sleeve T, and this arm is connected by means of a link, 1: with the arm g secured to the rock shaft, G. It is therefore apparent that when the latter shaft is rocked in that direction which sets the external brakes, the shaft, N, will also be rocked in the direction to uncou le the clutch.

The external brakes operate by the hand lever, g, are called the emer ency brakes. It is to be used to set said bra es when it is desired to suddenly'stop or check the forward movement of the car, and therefore the provision is made as above ex lained of simultaneously throwing off the c utch. The foot brake lever, m, is used under ordinary circumstances to bring the car slowly to a standstill after the clutch has been thrown out by the clutch-operating mechanism, or to slightly check the onward movement of the car Without throwing out the clutch.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an automobile, the combination of the two rear Wheels having cylindrical braking surfaces and brakes, which engage with the braking surfaces on said rear wheels and are provided with operating levers, with an equalizing bar,'supports secured to the automobile frame for sustaining said equalizin bar and permitting it to move forward an backward, links connectin the brake operating levers with said equa izing bar, a draft device connected with said equalizing bar, and mechanism for operating said draft device.

2. In an automobile, the combination of brakes actin on cylindrical braking surfaces secured to t e rear wheels thereof, a transversely extended equalizin bar, longitudinally slotted blocks in whic said equalizing bar is slidably supported, links connecting the ends of said equalizing bar with the 0 )GT- ating mechanism of the brakes associate respectively with the two rear wheels, a draft 4 rod pivotally connected with the equalizing bar near themiddle thereof, and mechanism for operating said draft bar.

3. In an automobile, the combination of a brake, a rock shaft G, having two arms rigidly secured thereto, mechanism connecting one of said arms with the brake o crating mechanism, a clutch, a rock shaft bl mechanism transmitting motion from said rock shaft to the clutch o erating mechanism, an arm fixed to the roc shaft, N, a pivoted lever having one arm a'da ted to engage the arm last referred to, an a link connecting the other arm of said lever with the second arm on rock shaft G.

4. In an automobile, the combination of the driven rear wheels, a cylindrical braking flange secured to each of said wheels, an inside and outside brake for each of said flanges, each of which is provided with an operating lever, two equalizing bars extending crosswise of the machine, supports therefor upon which said equalizing bars are movable, links which connect opposite ends of one equalizing bar with the two operating levers of the outside brakes, links connecting the op osite ends of the other equalizing bar with t e opcrating levers of the inside brakes, and two indeppndently operable draft devices for said equa 'zing bars.

5. In an automobile, the combination of the two driven wheels, each of which is rovided with a cylindrical braking sur ace, brakes res ectively engaging with said cylindrical surfaces, each having an operating lever, an equalizing bar extending crosswise of the automobile frame, supports upon said frame for said equalizing bar and upon which it is movable, links respectively connecting the said operating levers with op osite ends of said equalizing bar, a downwar ly dependin swinging lever hung from the automobil e frame, a link connecting it with said equalizing bar, and a draft appliance connected with said swinging lever.

6. In an automobile, the combination of a clutch, a rock shaft N, clutch operating mechanism connected with said rock shaft, and an operating arm n also connected with said rock-shaft, a second rook shaft M located adjacent to the rock shaft N, a sleeve T loosely mounted thereon having one arm adapted to engage with the operating arm if, a brake, and operating mechanism therefor which is also connected with the last mentioned sleeve, a sleeve R loosely mounted on the rock shaft M, a clutch operating lever secured thereto, and mechanism transmitting acting on said hub drums, transversely extended equalizing bars, supports for said equalizing bars, links respectively connecting the ends of said equalizing bars with the brake operatin levers, a draft bar connected with said e ua izing bar by means of a vertical pivot equahzing bar, a swinging lever pivoted to the automobile frame and to said draft bar, a rock shaft having an arm fixed to it, a link connecting said arm with said swinging lever, and an operating lever secured to said rock shaft. v

8. In an automobile, the combination with the rear wheels havin hub drums, and an in- .side and an outside brake for each of said hub drums, with two transversely extended equalizing bars, supports for said equalizing bars, links connectmg the ends of one of said equalizing bars with the operating levers of the two outside brakes, other links connecting the ends of the other equalizing bar with ocated near the center of said 1 the operating levers of the two inside brakes,

two draft bars respectively pivoted on vertical pivots to the two equalizing bars near the centers thereof, a rock shaft G, having an arm secured thereto, suitable connections between said arm and one of said draft rods, an operating lever secured to said rock shaft, a second rock shaft, M, having secured to it an arm which is connected with the other draft rod, an operating lever secured to the latter rock shaft, a clutch, a mechanism whereby the operation of the rock shaft G in the braking direction will release said clutch. In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

E. L. THURSTON, E. B. GILoHRIsT. 

